Air conditioning apparatus



S. M. ANDERSON AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS July 7, 1931.

Patented July 7, 1931 STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL M. ANDERSON, OF HYDEPARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO B. F. STURTE- VANT COMPANY, OF HYDEPARK, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS AIR CONDITIONINGAPPARATUS Application mea June 11,

The present invention relates to air conditioning apparatus such asheaters, coolers, humidifiers, and the like.

The object of the present invention is to reorganize and improve airconditioning apparatus particularly with a view to fiexibility ofconstruction and assembly, whereby stock units may be assembled andcombined in any desired number.

w. With this object in view, the present invention consists of the airconditioning apparatus hereinafter described and particularly defined inthe claims.

The drawing is an elevation partly in sec- E tion of air conditioningapparatus embodying the features of the present invention.

The invention comprises a plurality of units which include one or morehumidiiers or Washers and one or more temperature controlling units suchas heaters or coolers. As

shown in the drawing, the invention is embodied in an apparatus having asingle humidifier and a single heater. The humidifier or Washer isindicated at 2 and is of the general type disclosed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 323,951, filed December 5, 1928.

Briefly, this type of Washer comprises a plurality of rows of nozzles 4each including 3@ a number of air tubes 6 associated with water tubes 8.The air and Water tubes have 0pposed openings whereby the suctionproduced y the passage of air across the openings of the Water tubesacts to disperse the Water in a tine spray through the chamber.

The washer is provided with an inlet filter 10 and an outlet filter 12.These lters are primarily for the purpose of eliminating dust andentrained particles of water. These ilters may be of any suitable formbut are preferably of metal wool presenting a large number ofinterstices through which the air may pass in tortuous paths, On theinlet side of the washer is a propeller fan 14 driven by a motor 16.

Following the Washer is an air heater indicated generally at 18.Inasmuch as it is 'delsirable to manufacture certain standard forms ofunits for assembly in any desired y 5@ combination, each unit issupplied with its 1929. Serial No. 370,069.

own fan. Thus, for the heater there is provided a fan 2O of sufficientsize to overcome the resistance of the heater. The fan is driven by amotor 22. As shown in the dra-wing, the fan 14 1s of sufiicient slze toovercomeV the resistance of the washer and the filters while the fan 20is large enough to overcome the resistance of the heater. By the use ofindividual fans, each unit may be constructed and designed to operatewith a fan of a certain size and the assembly need not be altered topermit the addition of other units as would be necessary if fans ofdifferent sizes were employed to overcome the resistances of a variablenumber of units.

The operation of propeller fans in series has proven difficult becauseof the fact that each fan produces a spin in the fluid. This spin is anecessary incident to work done by the fan. In fact, the amount of spinincreases as the power output of the fan increases. The presence of aspin component in the inlet of a fan, however, introduces difficultiesin the operation. Thus, when two fans are mounted for series operation,the spinning air from the first fan necessarily passes to the inlet ofthe second fan. If both fans rotate in the same direction, the capacityof the second fan for overcoming resistance is materially reduced,whereas if they rotate in opposite directions, the tendency is for thesecond fan to take an excessive proportion of the load.

According to the present invention, the filters 10 and 12 not only servethe purpose of removing dust and entrained water from the air, but alsodamp out the spin component of velocity so that the air fiows to thesecond fan in substantially a straight axial stream. Inasmuch as thelters are of some thickness, they effectively prevent the transverseflow of air to which the spin component gives rise. Thus, the resistance`to transverse fiow is sufticiently high to remove the spin without,however, interposing an excessive resistance in the path of generalaxial flow of the fluid.

Although the preferred form of nozzle is of the type described in theoopending application above referred to, the present -invention is notlimited to such specific nozzle but may' employ any suitablelwater-spraying or atomizing means.

The invention having been thus described, what is cl uned is: (A

l. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a pluralityof airA conditioningunits including a humidifier unit, a propeller fan for each unit, thehumidifier unit being disposed between successive fans, and meanslocated between the fans for damping the spin velocity :'ntroduced intothe air stream of vthe rst 2. Air conditioning apparatus comprising aplurality of air conditioning units including a humidiier unit, apropeller fan for each unit, the humidifier unit being disposed between'successive fans and includinga filter for removing dust and entrainedwater particles and having a high resistance to transverse fiow of airto remove the spin from the air stream introduced by one of the fans.

3. Air conditioning apparatus comprising an air washer unit, atemperature controlling unit, a fan for each unit, the washer unit beingdisposed between the fans and including a ilter for removing dust andentrained water and for damping the spin velocity introduced into theair stream by the first fan.

In testimony whereor`- I have signed my naine to this specifica-tion.

SAMUEL M. ANDERSON.

